Submersible storage-tank.



C. P. IVI. JACK.

SUBMEHSIBLE STORAGE TANK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.H.1915.

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

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SUBMERSIBLE STORAGE TANK.

APPLICATloN FILED M1111. 11. 1915.

1,201,051. Patented 001.1111916.

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@Xml nasse/a: I Y @www1/hoz wavy/,L a K MCM I Jg C. P1 M. JACK. SUBMERSIBL STORAGE TANK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 11.1915

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`m |.II IIII ED sTA'r-Es PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES PETER MITCHELL JACK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YQRIL SUBMERSIBLE sroneens-'rains or submerged at will, the said tanks whenv submerged being under a balanced pressure both within and without. Such an oil-tan; can be ioated to any desired position, .and submerged, where it is free from the danger of lire. Furthermore, in case of war,'itis free froinan attack by aerial bombs or rifle ,fire of an enemy. When submerged it can be found only by those who know of its location. The tank is of the type that has its centers of gravity and its center of buoyancy in a line that is transverse to the length of the tank. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompany' ing drawings in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are views inpart elevation, and part section of several forms of the tank. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central section of another form of the tank. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 6 and 7 are end views of Figs, 2 and 3 and' Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line II-II of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a part sectional and part full view of a submerged tank, and

' Fig. 10 an end view of the same submerged tank. Fig. 11 is a side elevation partly broken and Fig. 12 a front elevation of a swivel discharge pipe by which a tank -is emptied of its contents. Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of a-sea cock or valve, for controlling inlet and outlet of water to and from the interior of a tank. Fig. 14 an enlarged view of'an ordinary gate valve operated by an electric motor, and Fig. 15 anV enlarged sectional view of a` sea cock or valve, adapted for electric operation.

Similar reference numerals refer to simii lai` parts throughout the several views.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.my invention.

' Patented oct. 10,1916.

Appiieation iiiea March 11, 191'5. serial Nq. 13,811.

at each of its ends, or'lat the top a chamber 12 built strongly to withstand pressure, and

adapted to be used as abuoyancy or lotation-chamber when the tank is to be floated from one point to another, orto be filled lwith liquid for sinking the tank. The flotation-chamber -12 has a wall 12()A that is fluidtight and divides u the tank interiorso as to isolate the flotation-chamber 12. Within the main chamber 11, are. secured one or more swivel pipes and their connections, used for discharging-oil; each of these arrangements comprises a plug valve 14, hung from the'roof by any suitable means, but preferably by a nipple 14a' secured to a flanged coupling 15." From the plug of valve 14 extends a pipe 16, which turns withv the plug, being .attached thereto and in communication with the interior thereof, and reaches to the lower floor of thecchamber 11.

The pipe 16 can be raised and loweredinv the interior of the chamber 11 from the exterior ot the tank by means of'a cable17,

passing through stuiling boxes. On the exterioi` of the tank, the cable or chain is graduated to indicate the amount of oil which could be contained within the chamtion between the sea and the interior of the chamber 11. The valves 18 are preferablylplaced above-the lowest point in thetank,

and their openings to the sea brought down to the lowest point. Furthermore they are operatedl from the exterior of the tank by ineans of rods 19, as shown in Fig. 2 pass ing through a stuffing bo x 20, fixed to the shell of the tank. Oi' they might -be ordi'- nary gate valves .18,.operated by an elec tric motor 22 as'illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 14. The upper 'works of the valve in Fig. 14 may be inclosed by a water tight jacket 23, shown by dotted lines. Another form of valve may be used as shown in Fig. 15 where the valve is lifted by a solenoid. 7But none of these constructions of valves and valve-operating means are of The flotation-chambers 12 have their cen? ter of buoyancy located above the center of gravity of the tank, thus preventing the tank from becoming unstable. If the chamber 12'and the oil compartments 11 are filled Within the chambers 12 are located auxiliary l tanks 24, for holding a supply of compressed with oil, the center ofbuoyancy is still above the center of gravity of the tank and ballast.

air; .These tanks 24 are provided with pipe connections 25, .extending to the exterior of y thetank 10,'and used" for charging the tanks 24 with compressed air. There are also valves 26 onthe tanks 24'operated mechanically, or electrically for discharging the come pressed air into the flotationchambers 12, when needed. To a'ord communication between these chambers 12 and the sea'outside the tank are sea-cocks' 18a; they constitute sea-inlets to admit water to the chambers12 when desired. There isa valve 27 g operated in' any desired manner and vcons ructed so that its casing constitutes a conduit to afford communlcation between the interior of the chamber 11 and that of-the chamber 12. On the wall of the iotation-chamber l2 is a valve.28 which lets pressure- Huid out of the chamber 12. The use of these valves is explained later, when the operation of floating, sinking or raising the tank is described. Covered manholes 29 are 4provided in the wallsof the chambers 1,1' and, 12 to' afford access to the interior of each. From each Valve 14 a flexible pipe 30 extends to a float or -buoy 31, adapted to oat at some predetermined p-level beloitr the surface of the water. There are also connected to the ioat the electrical wires, 4and other connections, leading to the valvesused in operating the tank. Atthe ends of the tank are anchor chains 32. I

4The tanks 'are preferably elongated and cylindrical in form.' If desired, theymay be corru atedas shown in cross section Flg.

vvpipe reaches to 5. In Figs'. 1 a d 5 wherein the dischargeiiheroof of the tank I form a long chamber or truck .33' withinthe chamber 12 and open at its bottom tothe chamber -11..^,The pipe 16, extends 11p-through this trunk` In Fig. 4,1 have shown a /slight f modification, where the, chamber- 12 is divided into three parts-that is, the chamber has partitions 34,and 35,-the space between l.which is made airtight; this space contains y al 'ump 36, operated electrically or mechanica ly for discharging the oil. It also icontains the: valves 180 operated electrically from the exterior ofthe tank andcontrolling the'ow of oilthrough pipes 37 and 38. The

`pipes`37 draw 'fro'm the vmain chamber 11 and the pipes38 draw from the chambers 12.

Oil can pass from the main, chamber 11 to the ends of the flotation-chamber 12 in this construction by `the valves 27.

Any of the tanks bove described can be Jfloated and submerged and such operations are carried out as follows z-H'aving the tank floating with ythe chambers 12 closed and full of air, and the chambers 11 full of water and open to the sea through the valves 18,

the chambers 11 may be filled with oil by pumping oil in through pipes 30, the water being expelled by the oil through the valves 18, the oil always remaining on top of the water. The valves 18 may next be closed and the tank towed to the location in which lit is desired to submerge or sink it. To sink the tank, open valves 18 and valves 27 and 28, thus allowing sea water to enter chambers 11, by the valves 18 and oil displaced it to enter chambers 12 through fvalves f b 2i, and air to escape from chambers 12 to without the tank by the valves 28, this escape of air destroying the surplus buoyancy required to4 float the tank. The tank will then descend to and rest on the ground below the water, Valve 28 is then closed. The pressure within the tank is equal to the pressure without, and therefore counteracts the stress of that without upon the structure which thus is not strained as it would be if subjected to an unbalanced external head. If oil is withdrawn through pipe 30, water enters through the valves 18. Conversely lif oil is forced in through pipes 30, water s expelledthrough valves 18 and the tank need never be empty.

To raise any of the tanks to the surface after it has been sunk in the manner just .previously described open valves 27 and open valves 26 which permit air to enter compartments 12 from compressed air tanks 24, thus expelling the oil from-compartments 12 through valves 27 into 1.1, thus increasing *'to secure byLetters Patent is 1. An elongated cylindrical balanced pres-' sure tank for the storage of oil, adapted to be floated or submerged at will, in combination Vwith valve and pipe connections for receiving and discharging oil, a delivery pipe connectedy thereto, and a buoy for supporting the delivery pipe to the valvecontrolling device.

2. An elongated cylindrical balanced pressure tank for the storage of oil, adapted to be floated or submerged at will, chambers within the tank for the admission of air,

oil or water, the center of buoyancy of' saidy chambers being above the'center of gravity of the tank, ports in4 said chambers under control and connected to exterior of the tank for admission of water, means for storing compressed air within said chambers, and under control from the exterior of the tank, for expelling the water within the chamber; for the purpose of floating the tank to the surface of the water.

3. An elongated cylindrical balanced pressure tank, for the storage or delivery of oil, adapted to be ioated or submerged in any locality at will, an air tight compartment within said tank containing a pump, with valve and pipe connections for receiving and discharging oil, a delivery pipe connected thereto, valve and pump operating connections, and a buoy for supporting the end of the delivery pipe and the valve and pump operating connections.

4. In an elongated ioatable and subl'-,

' mersible cylindrical tank of the type which hasits center of gravity and its center of buoyancy in a line that is transverse to the length of the tank, the combination with a fluid-tight partition that divides up the tank-interior and isolates a flotation-chamber therein from the main interior, of conduits through said partition and connecting the interior of the flotation-chamber to the remainder of the tank-interior, the interior of the notation-chamber to a seainlet, the interior of the iotation-chamben to an outlet, respectively, valves in the said conduits, and operative connections extended from the said valves -to the exterior of the tank, an oil-discharge pipe extending away from the tank-interior, means controllable from outside the tank and constructed to withdraw oil from the interior of the flotation-chamber as well as from the remainder of the tank-interior and de- `tank-interior and isolates a flotation-chamber therein from lthe main interior, of couduits through said partition and connecting theI interior of the flotation-chamber lto the remainder of the tank-interior, the interior `of the dotation-chamber to a sea-inlet, the

Voil from the tank-interior and deliver it to said oil-discharge pipe, means for delivering air to the interior of the flotation-chamber and likewise controllable from outside the tank and constructed to discharge the liquid contents of the said dotation-chamber from it, and a conduit connecting the bottom of the main tank-interior to the sea.

6. In an elongated fioatable and submersible cylindrical tank of the type which has its center of gravity and its center of buoyancy in a line that is' transverse to the length of the tank, the combination with a fluid-tight partition that divides up the tank-interior and isolates a flotation-chamber therein from the main interior, of conduits through said partition and connecting the interior of the flotation-chamber to the remainder of the tank-interior, the interior of the flotation-chamber to an outlet, respectively, valves in the said conduits, and operative connections extended from the said valves to the exterior of the tank, an oil-discharge pipe extending away from the tankinterior, means controllable from outside the tank and constructedtowithdraw oil from the tank-interior and deliver itto said oildischarge pipe, means for delivering air to the interior of the flotation-chamber and tenth day of March, A. D. 1915.

CHARLES PETER MITCHELL JACK. Witnesses:

M. WILLEMSTYN, ARTHUR E. COPELAND. 

